Oakland hills Fire: I-580 reopens, forward progress stopped

OAKLAND, Calif. - Firefighters have stopped the forward progression of a five-alarm fire near the freeway in Oakland at I-580 and Keller Avenue.

The Oakland Fire Department says two structures, both homes, have been damaged from the fire near Mountain Boulevard and Maynard Avenue. As many as 200 firefighters responded to the scene, along with Cal Fire and California's Office of Emergency Services. 

Though the Oakland fire chief says no structures are immediately threatened anymore, evacuations of at least 500 residents are underway as a precautionary measure. The evacuations are for the following areas off Keller Avenue near I-580: OKL-E176, OKL-E177, and OKL-E203. You can see the full evacuation map here. 

The Keller Fire has burned 15 acres and is 70% contained. It was first reported at around 1:30 p.m. 

Oakland's Fire Chief Damon Covington told KTVU he hoped they would have the fire contained by 5 p.m. but that estimate did not come to fruition. He said this was a wind-driven fire and was concerned about eucalyptus trees in the area providing fuel for the fire if the wind shifted. 

"By the time we got on scene, it had jumped from the front of a house across to a grove of eucalyptus behind the house," Covington said. "We immediately called for a 2nd, 3rd and 4th alarm. We have resources from around the Bay Area on scene, including Cal Fire air resources. We're in pretty good shape. We still have a lot of work to do."

The chief said no injuries have been reported so far. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. 

The chief said that firefighters would have to survey several neighborhoods to ensure it is safe for residents to repopulate their homes. Firefighters will remain on the scene all night and for most of the day on Saturday to monitor for hot spots. 

At around 4 p.m., westbound I-580 fully reopened. The freeway was shut down earlier in the afternoon and had partially reopened as the situation improved. 

Mayor Sheng Thao, who was at the scene of the fire, was briefed on the situation. She thanked mutual aid responders and shared the Genasys evacuation program she had already posted on social media. She also said that residents should sign up for Alameda County alerts for updates. 

"Please have a plan. When it comes to the red-flag fire hazard days, we have to always have a plan A and a plan B. This is real serious. This is an ongoing hazard. Throughout the year, we're seeing that the wildfire time frame within a year is actually longer now. We're at the end of October and you're seeing that there is a fire. This is a stark reminder that wildfires are real in the city of Oakland," Mayor Thao said. 

The mayor reminded residents to create defensible space on their properties to protect them if wildfire encroaches. She said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross are activated.  

The fire was originally at 2-alarms but was upgraded as it spread. Shortly before 4 p.m., the initial dark smoke had turned white, which was a good sign firefighters were getting water on the fire. 

Cynthia Williams, an area resident at a nearby housing complex, was at work when she heard about the fire. She said she rushed home to retrieve her son’s ashes and photos since he recently died. She said she had never experienced a wildfire like this before. 

Delane Sims' family home was damaged in the fire. She said she's been in the home since 1995. The fire blew out her home's front window.

"I think I'm still in shock, but most of all I'm just incredibly grateful to god that my husband's life was spared. My husband called me and said, ‘Our house is burning.’ He heard an explosion. Apparently, the heat was so intense it blew out our front window. And that's what woke him up so he could get out of the house with just the clothes on his back. Had that not happened, I don't know what would have happened. That's why I'm incredibly grateful that my husband got out of there," Sims said. 

She said it seemed something happened with the fire on the freeway before it jumped the street directly toward her house. The freeway is just in front of their front yard past a fence and a little downhill. 

Sims is from Oakland and recalls the Oakland hills firestorm in 1991. Friday's blaze burned a day before the Oct. 19, 1991 anniversary of the Oakland hills fire that destroyed nearly 3,000 homes and killed 25 people. 

"I thought that's what was going to happen today because these tops of the trees, these eucalyptus trees, were burning. We could see the flames when I arrived. I just came from work. I'm just grateful other homes were not involved."

Sims said Councilwoman Treva Reid was on the freeway and saw a small brush fire and immediately called for help. Sims said she was grateful for the councilmember's quick action. The councilmember said she was coming off the freeway at an exit when she saw the brush fire. She said she and another driver stopped. "I immediately got on the phone with the fire department. Within a minute, that brush fire ignited in the trees. I never imagined less than an hour later that an entire hillside would be impacted," said Reid. 

Sims was only able to peek inside her home and saw water damage. The roof is collapsed, but she said nothing compares to her husband being safe. 

Some neighbors grabbed garden hoses to spray down their yards and hot spots. 

"I got home, it was about 12:30 or 1 p.m. My husband and I sat down to have lunch and we realized that there was a fire," said Kim Agnew, a resident who was forced to evacuate. "And so I ran out the door and started ringing doorbells. We just basically started telling all the elders to get out of the house, get a mask and start watering your roof. So the whole neighborhood was all out here with hoses until we got evacuated."

The San Francisco Fire Department was part of the mutual aid response. They sent five fire engines and a battalion chief. 

This fire comes as much of the Bay Area is under a Red Flag Warning. 

The Red Flag Warning took effect at 11 p.m. Thursday and remains in effect through Saturday evening. 

PG&E has shut off power in certain parts of the Bay Area because of critical fire weather. 

This is a developing story. Check back for details. The Associated Press contributed to this report.